April 19, 2018

Heinrich, Udall cosponsor Medicare buy-in bill

Senators Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall support a Medicare buy-in bill that would allow individuals and companies to buy into the federally-run health care program, the latest bill to address healthcare introduced by Democrats that has little chance to pass in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, introduced the legislation this week along with nine co-sponsors including the two New Mexico Democrats.

Sponsors of the bill say it will pay for itself through premiums and that it would drive down private insurance premiums because of the new competition.

The Murphy-Merkley bill, dubbed the Choose Medicare Act, would give both individuals and companies the option of buying health insurance coverage through a Medicare plan instead of private insurance. The idea is that Medicare prices are typically lower than private insurance, and this would extend to the new buy-in plans.

The bill would also ensure coverage for all reproductive rights services.

“It is time to recognize that health care is a human right and the best way to make that a reality in America is to build on what we all know works,” said Heinrich. “New Mexicans across the political spectrum recognize just how well the Medicare program delivers quality health care results at a reasonable cost.

This legislation is a great first step towards to our goal of universal coverage and lower health care costs, giving all New Mexicans and Americans the ability to purchase a new affordable, comprehensive Medicare plan. I will continue to support this and other efforts in Congress to make access to a public healthcare option a reality for the millions of Americans who desperately need it,” Udall said.

This is the fourth bill related to Medicare introduced by Senators since the beginning of 2017. The bill with the most attention is the Medicare-for-all bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, both because of the support Sanders received in the 2016 Democratic primary and the expectation that he will seek the Democratic nomination in 2020 and that it proposes single-payer health insurance.

Udall and Heinrich also cosponsored the Sanders Medicare bill. The difference between the Sanders Medicare-for-all bill and the other bills, including the Murphy-Merkley bill supported by Heinrich, is that the other bills instead allow people the option to purchase a Medicare health insurance plan.

After decades in the political wilderness, “Medicare-for-all” and single-payer health care are suddenly popular. The words appear in political advertisements and are cheered at campaign rallies — even in deep-red states.

Update 5:30 pm: Heinrich spoke for roughly 20 minutes, mainly focusing on how as a gun owner himself, he can't understand why the proposed reforms are controversial. "The fact that we’re arguing about this is unfathomable," Heinrich said.

A new poll is the first to show Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s approval rating. And while the number of registered New Mexico voters who approve of her job performance outnumber those who do not approve, nearly one-third of voters had no opinion.

The health care debate has Democrats on Capitol Hill and the presidential campaign trail facing renewed pressure to make clear where they stand: Are they for “Medicare for All”? Or will they take up the push to protect the Affordable Care Act?

Holtec International was in the news last month when the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission denied requests from some groups to hold an additional hearing over the company’s license to build an interim storage site in southeastern New Mexico to hold nuclear waste from commercial power plants.

Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and one of the original hires at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.
Matthew has appeared as a panelist for the Society of Professional Journalists’ New Mexico Chapter’s panel on covering New Mexico politics and the legislature.
A native New Mexican from Rio Rancho, Matthew’s family has been in New Mexico since the 1600s.